The following spring, Da Fu entered the county school to study, and in February, Fan Xin and Shi Wu both took the child examination.
Good things come in pairs; after the prefectural exam in April, both of them successfully passed the list.
Shi Wu’s ranking was quite good, entering the top ten, and the entire Xu family rejoiced, seeing a bright future ahead.
But at the very bottom of the red list, Fan Xin’s name appeared at the very end.
On the day the list was posted, Fan Xin was overwhelmed with joy. He raised his sleeve to cover his face and unexpectedly cried.
Nearly forty years old, he finally did not waste half a lifetime of studying and had a modest official title to his name. From then on, as he taught and nurtured students, his back could finally straighten with pride.
That year, little Fu spent all his days at the martial arts hall practicing horseback archery, growing even more robust.
The first batch of female students and the young masters taught by the brothers all showed great skill, building a lively reputation for the school. By the second half of the year, even before advertising outside, many had already pre-registered their children for martial arts training.
Fan Jingyi was busy with teaching, and he gradually managed the school himself, hiring several new instructors. The best were trained as full instructors, while the less capable became assistants.
As more students joined the martial arts hall, the teaching process became more standardized and improved step by step…
Kang He, on the other hand, busied himself with the family business—setting up branch shops and acquiring property. Thanks to Da Fu’s reputation, he was exempt from many taxes, which lifted much of the burden and gave him fresh motivation in business.
This family had their hands full—some studying, some teaching, some running businesses—everyone occupied and busy, with no idlers among them.
Their relatives and close friends were also all striving for better days in their own ways.
At Zhen’er’s family, Luo Chuanyi secured a supplementary official position as a tax department officer at the county school in Huaixiang County, mainly responsible for assisting with the collection of commercial and market taxes.
Though a low-ranking post, it was still respectable. After passing the middle-level imperial exam several times without much success, Luo was tempted by this opportunity to enter the officialdom.
According to the regulations, only candidates who had passed the provincial exam usually had chances to be selected for official posts, but occasionally a few opportunities fell to those at the imperial exam level.
Luo Chuanyi took part in the selection and unexpectedly was chosen, leaving him somewhat hesitant about what to decide—once he became an official, he could no longer continue taking the imperial exams.
When Da Fu heard about his uncle’s opportunity, he encouraged him to enter the officialdom. He often read the latest imperial bulletins from the education office and knew many court developments.
Now, the world was peaceful and more people studied. If the trend continued, scholars would no longer be as rare or valuable as before; the number of child examination candidates, imperial examinees, and even provincial exam graduates would be quite large.
With so many competing in all walks of life, getting a chance to enter the official ranks would only get harder, so it was better to seize the opportunity when it came.
After much thought and family discussion, Luo Chuanyi accepted the position and took Zhen’er and their two children to Huaixiang to take up the post.
Though the position was low and entered through a minor imperial exam graduate, he could not rise very high in rank. Yet for an ordinary household, it was extremely rare and a sign of official status from now on.
As for Qiao’er, she was not the type to be content with managing the household and raising children in seclusion. Not long after childbirth, she learned the family’s tea shop business.
Her mother-in-law happily taught her, and gradually the business was handed over for her to manage, while her mother-in-law took to doting on the grandchildren.
Qiao’er was lively and capable, running the tea shop as well as her mother-in-law had, planning to open another tea shop with her husband in a nearby county.
As for the He family, the husband and wife raised a pair of twins, living a rich and fulfilling life.
He Xiao Qiu taught their daughter the family’s braised meat recipes, hoping to open another braised meat shop in the northern part of the city.
Zhang Shizhu taught their son martial arts, planning to send him to Fan Jing’s martial arts hall once he was a bit older.
Hearing that martial exams were taking shape these past years and the treatment for martial artists had greatly improved, they were quite hopeful about the future.
Other relatives and old friends all had their own worries and troubles, but everyone patiently and earnestly managed their lives.
Seasons passed like a game of marbles; four years slipped by in the blink of an eye…
That summer, the sun blazed fiercely.
Kang He took the whole family back to their hometown to attend a funeral. After lunch, Master Fan lay down under a tree to cool off and never woke again.
Great-grandfather passed away peacefully, without illness or pain, and at a great age. It was considered a joyous passing, so the family was not too shaken.
A year before, in the autumn, Da Fu had succeeded in the provincial exam, winning the title of imperial graduate.
Though his rank was not outstanding, it was a rare talent indeed.
But he did not rest on his laurels. Eager to continue learning, he did not indulge in the honors at home but set off for the famous Yueheng Academy to study further.
It was only after great-grandfather’s passing that he returned home to attend the funeral.
Once home, he planned to stay a while—to celebrate Fan Jing’s birthday and to spend time with little Fu.
Unexpectedly, that young master, so fond of his home and family, was rarely seen. Whenever he wasn’t at the martial arts hall practicing, he seemed to roam wildly like a free spirit.
“On the twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month will be your little father’s birthday. The days go by so quickly—you two have grown so tall and big,” Kang He said at night as he called the two children close and reminded them.
In past years, Fan Jing never liked celebrating his birthday and would refuse to eat at formal dinners.
Little Fu bit into a pear, sitting at the table with his long legs stretched out and asked, “Is little father going to have a big celebration this year?”
Da Fu was quiet, listening carefully from the side.
Kang He replied, “He wouldn’t want a big fuss. He’s never liked socializing. Having a big birthday party and entertaining guests would only be a needless hardship for him.”
Little Fu nodded; that made sense.
“Then I’ll ask little father what he wants to do this year. It’s rare that brother is back, and the whole family is together.”
Kang He added, “Just letting you two know ahead of time—we’ll all go out on that day, so don’t make other plans.”
Little Fu’s eyes brightened. “We get to go out for little father’s birthday?”
Da Fu’s brow twitched. “Where are we going? It’s hot in summer. Going out might be better than staying home.”
Kang He grinned mysteriously. “You’ll know when the day comes.”
Standing outside the door, Fan Jing was about to enter but stopped when he heard the father and sons quietly planning his birthday inside.
Pretending not to have heard, he softly left the courtyard, thinking, what trouble are they cooking up this time? And they even roped in the two kids.
Though thinking that, something unusual stirred inside Fan Jing—the first time in memory he found himself caring about his own birthday.
If not for Kang He bringing the birthday longevity noodles every year, he might have completely forgotten.
Soon the twenty-sixth day arrived. After breakfast in the main hall, Kang He led Sheng Han to bring the horses.
The family of four set off before the heat of the day, riding out of the city together.
The fresh breeze accompanied them, and the ride was pleasant.
Little Fu was eager to ride out, and though Da Fu focused on studying, a gentleman values the Six Arts, and he was naturally good at riding horses.
The two brothers raced along the smooth official road, laughing and enjoying themselves.
Kang He and Fan Jing rode side by side at a slow pace.
Watching the two young boys with their hair flying in the wind ahead, Kang He felt both comforted and deeply satisfied.
“Where are we headed?” Fan Jing asked, glancing at Kang He.
“The official roads and paths in the county are so familiar to us both, nothing new that you don’t know. Since that’s so, I thought I’d take you to a place you couldn’t be more familiar with.”
With that, Kang He flicked the reins and dashed ahead laughing.
Fan Jing saw this and hurried after him.
The horses ran along the official road, then veered onto narrow mountain paths, winding into thick forest.
As the mountains rose, the trees grew lush and dense, and the scorching heat was left behind down below.
Little Fu had never been to such deep woods before.
He saw thick tree trunks soaring to the sky, spreading like a green canopy. The trees all looked similar, making it easy to lose one’s way.
Birds perched in the branches—the sparrows’ feathers gleamed beautifully, dazzling the eyes.
He wrinkled his nose and sniffed, inhaling the rich mountain air—sometimes fresh and piney, sometimes damp with the smell of rotting leaves…
At that moment, little father’s stories about the wild mountains and fields suddenly became vivid and real.
Da Fu disliked coming to such dense forest. He vaguely remembered that when he was very young, someone had once taken him deep into the mountains.
Though his memory was faint, on this day, sharing the journey, he even recited a few poems.
Compared to the children’s excitement, Fan Jing, recalling the winding familiar paths of his youth, already knew where Kang He was leading him.
Memories flooded back, and he felt a sudden clarity.
It was as if he could still see a slim young figure, wrapped in animal skins, eyes cold and alert, silently wandering these woods with a longbow in hand.
That young man suddenly lifted his head and met Fan Jing’s gaze; their eyes locked in silence.
At twenty years old, Fan Jing was still aloof and cold, his heart nearly numb. His remaining awareness was spent on making a living for his family.
He never thought about what his future would look like—maybe there was no future. He once believed he would be buried deep in these mountains someday.
Perhaps from a beast attack, or a fall from a cliff… whether young or middle-aged…
“Do you feel any different?” Kang He saw Fan Jing’s silence and unusual expression, then gently asked.
Fan Jing pulled himself back from his memories and withdrew his distant gaze. “The green mountains never change, but people do.”
Kang He laughed, “You’ve gotten poetic all of a sudden.”
“Look! There’s a house! And it’s surprisingly large!” Little Fu’s clear voice rang out, drawing Fan Jing’s reluctant glance.
He knew that the hunting cabin he once lived in was somewhere nearby.
But this kid always exaggerated, saying houses in the city or countryside were big—yet he was amazed by a simple mountain cabin.
Still, as Fan Jing rode forward, he was slightly stunned at what little Fu said about the household.
The once tiny wooden cabin was now expanded several times over, surrounded by a sturdy courtyard.
Had it not been the place where he lived alone for many years, with the old cabin still standing, he might not have recognized it.
Many surrounding trees had been cut down, letting sunlight flood in and making the place much brighter.
It was clearly well cared for, with a dedicated well dug for fresh water.
Hearing voices, the cabin door opened quickly, and several people came out to greet them.
Each one called out, “Master Fan, sir, two young masters.”
“Your journey must have been tiring. Tea and refreshments have long been prepared inside. Please come in and rest.”
Both the two Fus and Fan Jing looked at Kang He in surprise.
Kang He smiled and said, “Why hesitate? Aren’t you thirsty? Come inside for tea.”
Da Fu recalled faint memories of bandits and said, “This place seems to be where little father and grandfather used to live when hunting.”
Little Fu’s eyes shone. “I’ve long begged little father to bring me here, but he always refused.”
With that, he eagerly dashed inside as if on wings.
Fan Jing really did not expect Kang He to have arranged such a grand change.
Watching the two children enter the house, he turned to Kang He and asked, “When did you arrange all this?”
Seeing Fan Jing’s surprise, Kang He dismounted and took his hand.
“I arranged it long ago. I wanted to give you a surprise for your birthday this year.”
Fan Jing got down from the horse. He had not been to these mountains in many years and liked what he saw.
But with Da Fu’s bright future and the Fan family becoming a scholarly household, caution was inevitable, and he worried if people found out about this.
“I see you planned ahead. You’ve built a house in the mountains and arranged for people to stay here. If others knew, it might cause trouble.”
Kang He smiled softly, turned around, and pulled a deed from his clothes, placing it in Fan Jing’s palm.
“If it’s private property, you need not worry.”
Fan Jing looked at the deed in astonishment. “Private property?”
“Yes. From now on, these mountains belong to you. I went through some channels and bought this land from the county government. I selected people to build the house, all to give you this as a birthday gift.”
Fan Jing traced the deed with his fingers, feeling a mix of surprise, gratitude, and an indescribable stir in his heart.
He looked at Kang He. “Why did you think to buy this place?”
“These past years, the business has been steady. I saved some money, had some extra, and with your birthday coming, I decided to buy it.
“Back then, life here was hard. But after all these years apart, I still often think about these mountains, this cabin, and the times we hunted together.”
Kang He looked at Fan Jing and slowly said, “This place… is where we began.”
The first stirrings of affection, care, respect; the first embraces, tenderness, and love.
Though the time they lived here was not long, there were so many precious memories…
“Don’t think I spent so much just to please you. I’ve thought it through. This place will be a mountain retreat with fruit trees, beekeeping, and forestry. Martial arts students from the school can even come here to hunt… Mountain forests aren’t worse than fields; they can be profitable too.”
“Every summer, when it’s hot, our whole family can come here to live and escape the heat—joyfully together.”
Fan Jing pressed his lips tightly. These years brought many honors and grand moments enough to fill his heart.
But he never expected Kang He to cherish their life in the mountains so deeply.
His emotions surged.
They both had never changed their original hearts, just like these flourishing, evergreen trees in the mountains.
How rare is such true affection in this world?
Fan Jing leaned forward and placed a kiss on Kang He’s forehead.
He said sincerely, “I really like it.”
Kang He was taken aback, looking at Fan Jing with a heart that floated light and free.
Just then, little Fu peeked from the door. “What are you two doing? Why aren’t you coming in yet? It’s so comfortable inside—cool and refreshing!”
Da Fu’s head rested on little Fu’s. “There’s little father’s favorite sweet cake. Little Fu wants to wait for little father before eating.”
“Coming right away,” Kang He replied with a smile.
He said to Da Fu and little Fu, “Don’t just hide inside idly. You’ll go hunting in the woods later. I’ll cook at home. Whatever you catch today, we’ll have for little father’s birthday feast.”
Little Fu’s eyes sparkled. “Great! I’ve been wanting to go hunting!”
Da Fu perked up. “Today we get to experience little father’s old life. Sounds interesting.”
Kang He looked at Fan Jing. “I’ll make the longevity noodles with you first. Then you two go hunting.”
Fan Jing, however, broke from his old habit of sitting still in the forest and said, “Let the locals guide the boys. I’ll stay and make the noodles with you.”
Kang He smiled teasingly, feeling indulged. “My good brother~ So, do you want wide noodles or thin ones?”
Fan Jing didn’t answer and walked ahead but unexpectedly took Kang He’s hand and led him toward the cabin.
The broad palm was warm and slightly moist.
Just like that night, twenty years ago, when he grabbed Kang He’s hand to prevent himself from falling into a ravine in the rain.
At that moment, he endured the tearing pain of his skin and gritted his teeth as Kang He pulled him up.
Little did he know, that pull lifted him into the rest of his life—the overgrown path of his lonely youth was rewritten from then on…
Steadfast as a rock, the years drifting by.
They would walk hand in hand into the next twenty years.
—The End.
Great ending